The present invention relates to a safety belt buckle, especially for a motor vehicle, having a buckle housing and a key to actuate a securing device that is disposed in the housing and that, when an associated buckle tongue is inserted into the insertion track or slot formed in the housing, interlocks with the tongue. A source of light is disposed in the buckle housing to provide illumination for the key and the insertion slot for the buckle tongue.
German Gebrauchsmuster No. 87 02 386 Schulz dated May 27, 1987 discloses a buckle where, to illuminate the key and the insertion slot, a source of light is disposed in the key, with this light source also radiating light into the insertion slot via an opening that is directed toward the slot. However, such a buckle illumination has the drawback that the source of light is disposed directly on the functional buckle part that is to be illuminated, as a result of which, for one thing, the key must be designed correspondingly large in order to accommodate the light source; furthermore, movable cables or leads must be placed in the buckle housing. In addition, this arrangement results in complicated mounting of the illuminating system parts in the movable key, and also makes it difficult to remove and replace the light source if it fails.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve the safety belt buckle of the aforementioned general type in such a way that the illuminating device operates effectively, is easier to dispose in the buckle, and is easier to install and repair.